Submissions Open for Unsolicited Exhibition Proposals NYC

We’ve known about apexart for several years now, and so when we received this opportunity in an email we thought it would be great to share with artists in case they may have missed it—

apexart has developed an Unsolicited Proposal Program, which is a democratic method of selecting exhibitions based on the strength of the idea alone. No CVs, references, or biographical materials are accepted– just 500 words on your brilliant idea for an exhibition in New York. They’ve been doing this for 18 years now!

This year, from October 1–31, apexart will accept proposals for exhibition ideas. Applications consist of a short written text explaining what the exhibition would be about and why it is of interest.

apexart assembles a jury of 150 people from all different backgrounds, all around the world, who vote on proposals online. This is to make sure that the shows have a broad audience and appeal across cultural borders. The only information jurors can see is the application text; they do not know who submitted the idea and nothing about their background or level of experience. Each proposal is voted on the same number of times by different jurors over the course of a month. apexart developed a custom-made computer script that aggregates all the votes and determines which three proposals have the highest scores. These proposals will be presented as part of apexart’s exhibition season in 2016–17.

Winners receive a budget, curatorial honorarium, and administrative support to mount their exhibitions in the apexart in Manhattan.

You need: a great idea for an exhibition that includes the work of at least 3 artists.You don’t need: previous curatorial experience, connections at apexart or other organizations, bribes, or a home address in New York City.